Steam vacuum-pump



lNrrED STATES lnrEN'i` @Erica FRANK A. HENSLEY, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

STEAM VACUUM-PUMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,649, dated. April13, 1886,

Application filed July 7, 1885. Serial No. 170,901. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom zizi may concern,.-

Beit known that l, FRANK A. HENsLnY, of San Antonio, in the county ofBexar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Steam Vacuum- Pumps; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertans tomake and usc the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in steam vacuum-pumps.

The object is to provide an improved system of levers and operatingmechanism connected therewith, whereby the rise of the water in thepump-cylinder automatically closes the condenser water-valve and opensthe steam-inlet valve, and the fall of the water in the cylinder opensthe condenser watervalvc and closes the steam-inlet valve. A furtherobject is to provide a pump which in its general construction shall beeffective and economical.

1With these ends in View my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of thepump, the parts being in position to introduce water into the cylinder.Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the position of the parts when-steamis admitted to the cylinder and water being forced therefrom, and Fig. 3is a detached view of the air-valve.

A represents an upright pump-cylinder of any improved dimensions. Thewater-inlet pipe B, leading from the water-supply, and the water-outletpipe G, leading` to the point where it is desired to discharge thewater, both communicate with the cylinder through its lower head, orthrough the side of the cylinder at or near its lower end. Thewaterinlet pipe B is provided with a check-valve, b, opening toward thecylinder, and the discharge-pipe C with a cheek-valve, c, opening awayfrom the cylinder.

D represents a steam-inlet pipe communicating with the cylinder at ornear its upper end, and provided with a stop-valve, Z,op erated by avalve-rod, d', as will hereinafter appear.

a spiral spring, by a rod, le.

E represents apipe leading from acold-water tank, F, into the top of thecylinder and terminating` in a sprinkler-head, f, for dischargingcold-water spray into the cylinder to condense the steam. The pipe E isprovided with a stopcock, e, operated by a lever, e', attached to thevalve-rod d.

A valve-operating rod, G, is located at the axis of the cylinder, and isallowed a longitudinal movement determined by adjustable collars g,secured thereon by set-screws or other suitable means. The lower end ofthe rod G works in a socket, H, communicating with the lower head of thecylinder. The upper end of the rod G- is provided with an elongatedclosed slot, h, in which is loosely secured the end of the long arm Iofthe main operating-lever. The short arm i of said lever is connectedwith a spring, K, preferably The lever I i is fulcruined in a dependingstandard or hanger, L, and is provided with an arm, M, extending at auangle thereto, or the rotary rod M', which forms the bearings ou whichthe lever is fulcrunied, may have the arm M rigidly secured thereto, andthereby caused to vibrate in unison with the rocking of the lever I z'.A laterally-extending stud or pin, m, on the end ofthe arm M engages anelongated closed slot, n, in the end of a bar, N, the opposite end ofthe bar N being pivot-ally secured to the lever e', between thestop-cock e and its free end. The spring K is secured to the cyl`inder-casing at a point about in a horizontal plane with the fulcrum ofthe lever I z.

O represents a disk-'float which loosely iits within the cylinder, andhas a free sliding motion on the rod G.

An air-escape valve, l), is located near the base of the cylinder, andacts automatically in allowing` any accumulated air within the cylinderto escape. This valve l? rests within the seat P', and is engagedoutside of the cylinder by the spring p, and is adapted to be engagedinside of the cylinder by the pivoted lever 10'-, which latter is heldin a horizontal position by the spring p2. This lever rests in the pathtraversed by the tloat, and as the float moves upwardly the lever turnson its pivot to permit it to pass and assumes the horizontal positionalter it passes beyond it. Then the float strikes the lever during theICO descent of the float, the lever is forced downwardly, and coming incontact with the stem of the valve opens it. The lengthof the lever pand the thickness of the float G at its edge govern the length of timethe escape-valve remains open.

The operation is as follows: In Fig. l a vacnum is supposed to have beenproduced within the cylinder by the condensation of the steam by meansof the cold-water spray from the pipe E, the steam-inlet valve is closedand condenser-valve open. Atmospheric pressnre will now cause the waterto dow upwardly through the water-inlet pipe B into the cylinder,filling the same and lifting the float O. Then the float strikes theupper collar, g, itlifts the operating-rod G the length of the slot Itbefore disturbing the position of the lever I i, which is retainedin itsposition by the tension of the spring K. vAs the lower end of the slot hreaches the end of the arm I the rod G lifts the arm I, lowers the armi, and swings the arm M the length of the slot n without disturbing thelever e and valve-rod d'. At the moment when the pin m reaches the outerend of the slot a the lever I z' has j ust passed its dead-center withrespect to the tension of the spring K and the float O, and

hence the rod G has ceased its upward movement. The tension of thespring K now eX- erts itself to continue the upward movement ofthe armI, the slot h allowing it so to do, and at the time forces the lever e'and valverod d connected therewith to the left, opening the steam-inletvalve d and closing the condenser-valve e, as shown in Fig. 2. The forceof gravity alone or the pressure of the steam, or both combined, willforce the Water out of the cylinder into the discharge-pipe C. As thefloat nears the bottom of the cylinder it engages the lower collar, g,and forces the rod G downwardly. The downward motion of the rod Greverses the motions of the levers I, 'i e and the valve-rod d, therebyclosing the steamwalve d and opening the condenser-valve e. By the timethe float O reaches the bottom of the cylinder the steam therein willhave been in great part or entirely condensed, a vacuum formed, andwater will again flow into the cylinder through the supply-pipe. As thefloat nears the bottom of the cylinder the lever I t is again thrownpast its dead-center and the spring K exerts its tension in closing thevalves fl and e.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to intheconstruction of the several parts described without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a steam vacuum-pump, the combination., with a pump-cylinder, thewater inlet and outlet pipes, a condenser-pipe, a steampipe, and valveslocated in the several pipes, of a vertically-movable rod having stopsthereon, levers connecting the rod with the valves in the condenser-pipeand steam-inlet pipe, and a float loosely mounted on the rod and adaptedto actuate the same, substantially as set forth.

2. rlhe combination, with the pump-cylinder and the water feed anddischarge pipes, of a steam and condenser pipe communicating with thecylinder, valves for opening and closing the steam and condenser pipes,valveoperating mechanism, substantially as described, connected withsaid valves, a longitndinally movable rod connected with the valveoperating mechanism and provided with stops, and a oat loosely mountedon the rod and adapted to actuate the same, the parts being arrangedsubstantially as described, whereby the lsteam-valve is opened andcondenser-valve closed whenthe cylinder is illed with water, and thesteam-valve closed and condenser-valve opened when the water isdischarged, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the valves for opening and closing the steamand condenser pipes, ofa system of valve-operating levers positivelyoperated by spring-power, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the valves for opening and closing the steamand condenser pipes, of a spring-actuated angle-lever connected with thevalve-operating rods in elongated slots, whereby the effect of thespringaction is reversed and the spring allowed to positively actuatethe valves, substantially as set forth. i

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

FRANK A. HENSLEY. llVitnesses:

A. DE ZAVALA, NV. R. OREAN.

IOO

